


I Won't Give Up On Us

by Iron_Eirlyssa (Eirlyssa)



Series: Eirlyssa's 2019 Bingo Fills [11]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Asgard, Betrayal, Developing Relationship, Genderfluid Character, Genderfluid Race, Genderfluid Tony Stark, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), M/M, Thor Has A Heart, Thor tries, Tony Stark Bingo 2019, War, in a VERY literal sense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-10-01 19:11:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20376028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eirlyssa/pseuds/Iron_Eirlyssa
Summary: When a marriage is finally arranged for the crown Prince of Asgard, his wife-to-be isn't what Thor had expected.He is far, far better.





	I Won't Give Up On Us

**Author's Note:**

> Some ThunderIron for the variation! This also fills square A2 - Asgard for my Tony Stark Bingo. I've used lyrics of Jason Mraz' _I won't give up_ for the title and chapter titles, because I thought it was very fitting for the two of them.
> 
> I would also like to thank Alistares from over at the WinterIron server for helping me out by proofreading this to make sure I wouldn't unintentionally end up offending anyone by getting things wrong!

Having been raised a prince of Asgard, Thor had always known that he would likely not marry for love. A powerful realm, any marriage of his would likely be a political arrangement. The only question had been what other realm would have enough to offer that the decision would end up being made.

Today, it had finally been made. A marriage between Thor and the princess of Agdistia would solidify their political ties. From what he could remember being told of the Agdistians, they were experts at the crafting of weaponry. Some of them had even apprenticed with the Dwarves on Nidavellir before, and while the Dwarves were better at the crafting of individual, exceedingly powerful weaponry, the people of Agdistia were known for the quality of their mass-produced weapons.

It was a sensible decision, especially with the increased danger coming in Asgard's direction. Rumors were that the Mad Titan had actually turned his attention to a possible attack on Asgard. And while they were powerful, they had not faced a threat like Thanos before.

What did surprise him was the fact that his betrothed would be joining them before the wedding, in order for the two of them to get to know one another. He had been informed that it was something that the Queen of Agdistia had requested, and while Odin didn’t quite see the purpose of it when they would be marrying regardless, Frigga had agreed.

So Thor had only a few weeks to prepare himself for the news that he was about to be married.

Having known that his marriage would be a political one, he had always made sure that any companions he spent his nights with were aware that there would be no permanence to the arrangement. It had broken a few hearts to be sure, even with the warnings, but Thor could at least go into the marriage without any guilt or other obligations. He had always known that, even though he might not marry for love, he did wish to marry with respect for his wife, and that meant no dalliances with others.

He did feel that one final hunt before his bride-to-be arrived would not go amiss, however, and so he called for Loki, Sif and the Warriors Three. Perhaps, if he managed to find an appropriate prey, he could gift its fur to his future wife.

⚭ 🌩 ⚭ 🛠 ⚭

To his own surprise, Thor was actually looking forward to the moment his betrothed would arrive. There was some nervousness that he could not deny, but mostly he was exceedingly curious and hopeful.

“It’s disgusting,” Loki told him. Since he didn’t sneer or walk away, Thor knew he wasn’t _too_ disgusted, though. In fact, knowing his brother, Loki was likely just as curious as Thor to get to know the person who would be joining their family, to see how they would fit into a dynamic that had been developing for centuries.

“Thank you.” He grinned at his brother, well-aware that his enthusiasm annoyed Loki far more than any genuine prank ever would.

Then, the doors to the throne room opened, and he quieted and focused on where his betrothed would appear. “Presenting the Princess Natasha Antonia of the House of Stark, and her entourage.”

Love at first sight had never been something he’d believed in, but she was certainly gorgeous. Dark hair, a golden complexion, and even from a distance he could see the intelligent glint in her bright blue eyes as they assessed the throne room, eventually landing on him. He smiled at her, hoping it would be reassuring.

Her smile back was small, somewhat hesitant still, but beautiful. It gave him hope for the future.

⚭ 🌩 ⚭ 🛠 ⚭

After a formal introduction and a celebratory meal (though not quite the same as what the wedding feast would be like - Thor anticipated at least a week’s worth of celebrations, since the crown Prince really only got married once if everything went right), his betrothed and her entourage were led to the rooms they would be staying in for the moment. After the wedding, of course, Natasha would move into Thor’s rooms instead, and most of the other Agdistians would return to their home planet. A small amount of attendants would likely stay, mostly for the comfort of their Princess.

Since they had all been sent to separate rooms, Thor had not been expecting to find a man inviting him into his betrothed’s apartment when he went to see her. And while part of him wanted to demand an explanation, he was stayed by the fact that the man looked… oddly familiar.

“Where is Princess Natasha?” he asked instead, voice even.

The man swallowed. “I prefer Anthony, actually. Anthony Nathaniel, of the House of Stark.”

Even with the familiar intelligent blue eyes, even with the same golden skin and warm brown hair, it took Thor a few moments to comprehend what was going on. “You are my betrothed.”

Worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, clearly nervous, Anthony nodded. Even with his disquiet, there was a determined set to his expression. “Please,” he said, gesturing at the sitting area, “may we be seated while I explain?”

“Of course.” Thor was honestly more curious than anything else, even though it was obvious that Anthony worried that he might be angry. None of all this made much sense to him yet, especially since Natasha had fairly obviously been female, and Anthony was fairly obviously male. And aside from the similarities between them, their facial structures were different in a way that could not be explained simply by well-administered make-up.

“The first thing you should probably know is that my race is… I suppose one could say that we are genderfluid in a very literal sense,” Anthony explained, not looking at Thor. “We can present ourselves as whatever gender we prefer, though most commonly male and female. As we age, we retain this ability, and while some have no preference one way or the other, others… do. I do.”

He was fiddling with the belt around his waist as he explained, and Thor noticed the faint trembling of his hands. “Which is inconvenient, because… Father wished for me to present as female, for this marriage. But I’m _not_ female, and I couldn’t… I did not wish to enter this marriage lying to you about this, no matter what father or Obadiah told me to do. And I do understand if this is a reason for you to be displeased, but…”

Thor shook his head, though Anthony would not see - not with the way he had his eyes fixed on his hands. So instead he slid out of his chair, into a kneeling position in front of Anthony, and put one of his hands gently on the other man’s in order to still them.

When Anthony looked up, startled and appearing slightly scared, Thor smiled gently at him. “Anthony… you have nothing to fear,” he assured. “In my past, I have lain with men and women alike, and I have found all of them beautiful. If you prefer your male form, I have no objections. Should you one day be comfortable presenting as a female, I would not hinder you either. I would get to know _you_, not the gender you present as, as my spouse.”

It was clear that he still found it difficult to believe, but however small and hesitant the smile on Anthony’s face was, it was still as beautiful as it had been on Natasha’s. He couldn’t resist smiling back at him.

Suddenly, before he could truly enjoy the moment or try to actually ask any of the questions he wished to ask of his betrothed, they were interrupted.

"What are you _doing_?"

No one should have been allowed to enter his betrothed's room without permission, and yet the furiously hissed question came from the doorway. Thor vaguely recognized one of Anthony's entourage, an older male with a bald head and a full beard and cold, cold eyes.

Anthony himself appeared determined, yes, but there was also some fear in his eyes that Thor did not like seeing there. "I do not recall you having permission to be in here," he told the other man.

"I am Chief Advisor of King Howard, and I do not need permission to check up on my _Princess_." That last bit was emphasized with a pointed glare at Anthony, who could not help but flinch slightly. Even if he had not mentioned his discomfort with being forced to present as female, Thor likely would have picked up on it from his reaction alone.

"You could be the King of Asgard himself and you would have no right to enter someone's room without their permission," Thor told him, glaring. He did not like this man. "And now I request that you leave me to speak with my betrothed, _alone_, and not to enter his room without requesting permission ever again."

"Bet-... You _told him_?" If possible, he seemed even more furious.

Fortunately it appeared as though Thor's support had helped Anthony, at least enough that he raised his chin and glared back defiantly. "I’m going to be _marrying_ him. I don’t want to start off a marriage with a lie, especially like this," he argued.

"Your father will hear of this, _Natasha_." With one final glare at Anthony, he turned and walked off, slamming the door behind him.

The sound of it made Anthony flinch just a little, and Thor was displeased to see that whatever ease he had been feeling before seemed to have deserted him now, leaving him wary once more. He sat down in front of his betrothed once more, softening his voice as much as possible. "I would have you know that I appreciate your honesty with me, and that it makes no difference to me, and that I will respect what you have told me. Not to mention there is nothing your father can do - this period of getting to know one another is more of a formality than anything else, since the contract has been signed already."

“He’ll be angry, though.”

Anthony sounded resigned more than anything, and Thor couldn’t help but be concerned. No one should be this wary of one of their parents. "I will inform my parents, though it makes no difference to our betrothal.”

“That would probably be wise, yes.” More than before, the smile on his face was forced. Thor rather wanted to see him genuinely smile again.

It was obvious that Anthony was rather exhausted by all of it, and he thought it might be better to let his betrothed rest before requesting that he join Thor for a walk around Asgard.

“Should they have any questions, would you be willing to discuss these with my mother?" Frigga would be kind about any questions she would ask, and she certainly came across as less imposing than Odin, so he hoped Anthony would be alright with that.

Upon getting his agreement, Thor smiled. “Then I shall leave you to rest for now - I am sure your day must have been exhausting enough. Though I would like to ask if I could call upon you tomorrow, to show you around Asgard? I imagine it would be nice to become familiar with the place that will soon be your home.”

At that, Thor was blessed with another genuine smile, lightening his heart. “I’d love that,” Anthony told him, somewhat more at ease again.

Hopefully, it would be a look Thor would see on him more often.

⚭ 🌩 ⚭ 🛠 ⚭

To Thor's delight, Anthony appeared to be fascinated with every aspect of Asgardian culture that Thor showed him.

"The craftsmanship on this is impressive," he gushed enthusiastically when Thor showed him the weapon rooms, assessing the different tools.

Likewise, the library made those gorgeously intelligent eyes of his light up. "Oh, there must be _so much knowledge_ gathered here," he effused, looking around the huge room. "We've got libraries as well, but none as large as this."

The forges, however, was where Anthony really seemed to come to life. "_Oh_," he breathed, his wonder obvious as he looked around and inspected all of it. It was at that moment, watching the rapture on his face, that Thor became certain that he could, in fact, easily fall in love with his future spouse.

"There might be some administrative duties after we are married," Thor told him as they moved on to the gardens, "and my mother will likely wish to spend some time with you to ensure you are aware of all the obligations and expectations for when we will eventually rule Asgard, but whatever time you have to spare, you may spend wherever you wish." Somehow, while Anthony did strike him as exceedingly capable of managing whatever he set his mind to, Thor expected to be able to find him in the forges or the library more often than any other place in Asgard.

"Thank you," Anthony told him, his gratitude more than obvious. "I think I might wish to spend at least some of that time in the forges, at least."

"I had gotten that impression, yes," Thor teased gently, smiling to make it clear that he did not find fault with his betrothed's chosen pastime. "I have not yet seen you as happy as here."

Perhaps, he thought, a private forge for Anthony's exclusive use might be an appropriate wedding gift.

His betrothed blushed becomingly, though he did not shy away as he had before. "It _is_ my craft, after all. The Dwarves do not lightly accept anyone as an apprentice, even from our race. But I was one of those they actually requested to come learn with them, rather than accepting a request from our side." Anthony appeared proud of it, and Thor could not help but agree.

"The Dwarves rarely accept apprentices, and even more rarely request them. You are right to be proud of it." The more Thor got to know Anthony, the more impressed he was with him. "May I ask which Dwarf you apprenticed with?"

"Master Eitri himself accepted me," Anthony told him. Even with the respectful address, his affection for the Dwarf was audible. "He had me spending time with the other Dwarves, just to make sure I had as well-rounded an education as possible, but in the end he took me on himself to teach me everything he knew as well. I still keep in touch with him, though I have not yet told him of our impending nuptials."

"I am familiar with Eitri, and the fact that he took you on as an apprentice himself makes me wonder at the kinds of things you can create." They appeared to be the only two in the gardens, though Thor knew that there were likely at least a few guards stationed nearby. These gardens were reserved for the royal family only, and while it guaranteed their privacy, it also meant that it was an ideal target for assassinations or other attacks. "I cannot wait to see what you come up with."

Anthony sighed, drawing Thor's attention. "I have ideas aplenty," Anthony confessed, the wary look back on his face again, "but they were not much approved of back on Agdistia."

"How so?" Thor asked, frowning. From all of the small hints he got from what Anthony told him, he was getting the impression that his betrothed's life back on his home planet had not been everything it should have been.

So when Anthony looked at him, as though hesitating to tell him, Thor tried his best to look encouraging. It must have worked, for he eventually started speaking. "It's just... We specialize in weapons, and we are good at it. And with my skills, as well as my apprenticeship on Nidavellir, I am not bragging when I say I am _great_ at it. But... I want to make _more_ than weapons. I don't just wish to create ways to _destroy_, you see?"

Thor was well-aware that his parents sometimes worried that he was still a bit too eager to fight, rather than attempt to resolve things in a peaceful way. It was one of the things that had made him wonder, though he had never told anyone of it, if Loki would not be a better fit for the throne of Asgard than he was. So to claim that he understood what Anthony meant, exactly, would be a lie. "You told me that you did not wish to go into this marriage with a lie, and I agree with you. So I will confess that I am a fighter, more so than I am most other things. But just because I do not understand, exactly, does not I mean I do not wish to, or that I will not listen to you should you be willing to explain."

It was not a statement he had guessed would endear him to Anthony. Already, he could tell that his betrothed was far more intelligent than Thor himself was - something he knew annoyed Loki occasionally, whenever Thor could not keep up with his intricate plans without explanation. He was not stupid, objectively speaking, but when surrounded by his parents and Loki, he sometimes felt that way.

And yet the look in Anthony's eyes was more affectionate, more _open_ than it had been before, which meant Thor must have done something right.

"I do not object to fighting itself, nor do I deny that it is sometimes necessary," Anthony told him, no impatience or frustration in his voice. Instead, he appeared eager to explain. Or perhaps just eager to have someone _listen_ to him for once, Thor reflected silently. "But there is so much more, so many more possibilities than just using our skills, our intellect, to make weapons. I've had... _so many_ ideas to make life easier, more pleasant, more comfortable. So many ideas that would help others - to solve problems that fighting _won't_.

“I mean, my people, we mostly build, but others wage wars with the weapons we make. And sometimes they get injured. I’ve seen… But then I thought, if I went about things right, I could create something to help. New limbs, perhaps. I’ve had some ideas about how to integrate them for those who’ve lost them - if I use runes on the metal..."

As Thor listened to him, he started to see Anthony's point. Weapons were good, and useful, but he wished to make lives better when there were no wars to be fought, no battles to be won. When they were faced with the challenges of everyday life.

Admiration filling him, his feelings for Anthony grew just a bit deeper.

⚭ 🌩 ⚭ 🛠 ⚭

“And of course, there’s always plenty of food and drinks to be had! We are rather fond of them, after all,” Thor laughed.

“I had noticed that, yes,” Anthony chuckled as he walked beside him. The past few days, they had met up regularly to talk and get to know one another, though Anthony was also being tutored in the important customs of Asgard to make sure he would act appropriately and Thor himself had busied himself overseeing the building of his wedding gift for his betrothed.

“Do you have a lot of parties on your home planet?” While Anthony was quickly becoming familiar with all things Asgardian, his own planet was often still a mystery to Thor, and he was curious about the kind of culture Anthony came from.

Anthony hummed. “Well, there’s a party for your day of birth, though that is generally family-only. As is an apprenticeship party, when you get accepted by a Master. There’s some regular get-togethers to discuss business, but I wouldn’t call those parties, really - very dull overall. The closest thing we have is probably the celebrations for our King and Queen, with fairs and music and dancing and all kinds of fun the sennight before King’s or Queen’s Day. They’re the only two days of the year where it’s truly _mandatory_ to present in a certain way, you know?”

“How so?” It sounded like Anthony could use some honest Asgardian parties, at least, if this was his only experience.

“Well, it’s to honor the King and Queen. So on King’s Day, he is the only one to present as male, while everyone else must present as female - should you not, you had better not show your face to anyone else, because it is regarded as the height of disrespect, and you would get tried for treason. The same with Queen’s Day, where everyone must present as male except for the Queen.”

Oddly enough, he did not sound as uncomfortable with it as Thor would have expected. “Did that not bother you, then? Considering you prefer not to present as female, the King’s Day can’t have been pleasant for you.”

“It wasn’t so bad, really.” He shrugged, and it sounded as though he meant it. “Everyone had to, after all - it was _tradition_. Not one I necessarily agree with, but one I can understand. I won’t say I was comfortable with it, and I tended to spend as much of the day hidden away as possible, but… It wasn’t about me, not really, and I wasn’t the only one suffering. Likewise, Queen’s day was alright for me, but there are others on the planet who are very uncomfortable presenting as male. Most of those days is spent hidden away, where no one will see us not presenting the way tradition says we should.”

The more he heard of Agdistia, the more Thor disagreed with its policies. “No one should have to hide away because others feel they should act or look a certain way - especially if that is a way they are not comfortable with, and _especially_ because it’s not even hurting anyone.”

At that, Anthony looked at him searchingly. He wasn’t disapproving, not exactly, but there was something _off_ in his expression. “I appreciate you saying it, and I think you even believe you feel that way, but…”

“I would not lie to you,” Thor argued, not understanding what he meant.

“Not on purpose, I will believe that, but…” Anthony closed his eyes, looking away. “You speak passionately, as though you would argue with anyone saying otherwise, but you have not.”

“I don’t understand,” he replied, feeling a kind of desperation. Had he truly failed to speak up when such a thing had happened? Had he honestly been blind to such a thing happening right in front of him?

Hesitantly, a hand touched his. Looking down, he noticed that it was Anthony, offering, though his betrothed would not complete the gesture. Thor had no such hesitations, wrapping his fingers around Anthony’s, admiring the way his hand could fit all the way around and the way he could feel the calluses of hard work on them.

“Over the time I have been here, I have spent a lot of time with you, certainly, as well as with your mother. But I have also spent time with your brother, and… He faces constant disapproval, not allowed to look the way he wants, let alone the way he truly does, and it has been impossible not to notice how much others disapprove of him or his magic. And while you might not have disapproved of him directly, you also have not _approved_ of him and his skills, or defended him against those who have criticized him.”

Thor swallowed, though it felt like his throat had reduced in size. Because as much as he wished to argue with Anthony, as much as he wished to tell him that he _loved_ his brother, he realized that his betrothed’s words were not untrue.

Part of it was the fact that Thor appreciated forthrightness, which was one of the things that had endeared him to Anthony the moment he had told Thor that he did not wish to enter the marriage with a lie. Loki’s powers included a lot of illusions and deceptions, which he had to admit he was not entirely comfortable with.

When had he lost sight of how _fun_ it could be, though? When had he lost sight of how fun it _was_, until everyone started disapproving and Loki started pulling back and using those illusions more to defend himself and lash out than to play around?

However lost he was in his self-recriminations, though, Thor could not help but notice one thing Anthony had said.

“You are right, and… I have erred. I will try my best to improve, and I hope you will tell me if I end up mishandling the situation once more, though it should not… I will endeavor to have it not be necessary. But please, explain to me one thing - what did you mean with ‘the way he truly does’?”

This time, the frown on Anthony’s face was mostly confusion. An assessing glint then sharpened his gaze, and Thor rather disliked the fact that the current situation was so serious, because he was quickly starting to fall for the intelligence in those bright eyes.

“You don’t know,” Anthony concluded eventually, to Thor’s increasing confusion. The smaller man looked up at him, calculating, before finally nodding. “One thing you should know about our race, aside from what I have already told you, is that we need a way to recognize one another no matter how we present. There’s always some sort of familiarity to the looks themselves, and the eyes tend to remain the same, but it might as well be a familial resemblance. So instead, we see what I guess one might call the _soul_ of people. No matter our presentation, the soul remains the same, and every person’s soul is different.

“Now, those differences are subtle but distinctive within one race, but there are also differences across races. Children usually carry traces of both parents’ races, as you do with Odin and Frigga. Loki, however…”

“Loki is a different race entirely,” Thor finished for him, having caught on to what Anthony was saying.

Aside from a nod to confirm his conclusion, his betrothed remained silent, allowing Thor to come to terms with the realization himself. And while he didn’t think he completely would, not until he had at least talked to his parents, it did not take him long to arrive to the conclusion that he would love Loki no matter what.

“I do not think he knows,” he eventually spoke up, reviewing his interactions with his brother. “Do you… Could you tell which race?”

“Does it matter?” Anthony asked, which was as good as a ‘yes’.

“Not to me.” He found that he meant it. No matter what race Loki truly was, he was still the brother that Thor had grown up with - the tricky, supportive, chaotic, highly intelligent brother that he’d been treating wrongly.

He could not help but wonder that something like this should happen right before he got married. It was something that he felt the need to deal with as soon as possible, now that he knew. Some might call him impulsive for it, but he had a plan - it might not be a good one, but it was a plan. And if it was terrible, he hoped Anthony would tell him so.

“It is probably better if you do not tell me - I wish to speak to Loki about it, and assure him that it is of no matter to me. That I did not ask you to tell me because it makes no difference in whether I will still care about him or not. Then, when we confront our parents, we shall find out at the same time and he will be able to see that I meant it.”

While he’d been a little worried Anthony would disapprove, the honest, affectionate smile on his betrothed’s face made it more than clear that he didn’t. “I know you worry that you will not be a good King, but… There will always be more things to learn, and mistakes that will be made. But the Prince I have gotten to know? He is honorable, and sweet, and honest, and a bit impulsive still, and most importantly, _willing to learn_. I think you will make an _amazing_ King one day, Thor.”

If he were to look back later, Thor would pinpoint that as the very moment he had moved from a growing affection to falling in love.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and I hope to have the next chapter up sometime in the next week!! Feel free to come check out my [Tumblr](https://eirlyssa.tumblr.com/) if you want to :)


End file.
